


2200 Yen and a Sleepless Night

by starchitect



Series: Prove Me Wrong [1]
Category: Persona 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, IT'S REAL GAY HOURS, Internalized Homophobia, Kinda, M/M, Mild Language, Sexuality Crisis, Souyo Week 2019, Yosuke Hanamura is my son and I will love him forever, Yosuke's shorthand is AWFULLL, also the TV World doesn't exist in this, buckle up kiddos, it's just soulmates that's it, yosuke baby it's okay to be gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 01:53:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18982804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starchitect/pseuds/starchitect
Summary: Yu picks up on the second ring, and Yosuke’s stomach flips.“Yes?”“Dude, what the hell?! Did you see that? Th-the Midnight Channel, it’s—it’sreal!Chie wasright,dammit, and crap, now I owe her 2200 Yen and… Oh my godpleasetell me I’m not the only one who saw that.”In which the Midnight Channelactuallyshows your soulmate. Yosuke is confused, to say the least.





	2200 Yen and a Sleepless Night

**Author's Note:**

> y'all I'm trash for souyo and I can't believe this hasn't been done yet
> 
> it's been eleven years how has no one thought of this
> 
> anyway I'm here to provide the very simple soulmate au in which the myth about the Midnight Channel is actually real and none of that TV world nonsense exists
> 
> buckle in and enjoy the ride :V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He doesn’t know why he’s nervous. This whole thing is fake anyway. It’s not like someone he knows is going to show up on screen.
> 
> The clock strikes midnight. A few seconds pass before the TV turns to yellow static, and Yosuke can’t believe what he’s seeing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so before we dive in I wanna clear up some things
> 
> obviously this doesn't take place in canon, so I took some creative liberties in setting this a little further into the year before Chie brings up the Midnight Channel; it's probably been about a couple months at this point, so Yosuke isn't calling Yu "partner" just yet (he will tho don't worry)
> 
> secondly the way the whole soulmate thing is gonna work is Yu and Yosuke will be able to hear music that the other is humming/singing/listening to in their head; this will come into play later
> 
> that's all I have; enjoy!

“Childish, huh?”

Chie squints and stares indignantly at Yosuke, challenging him from across the table. “You don’t believe it, do you?” she demands.

“Of course I don’t,” comes Yosuke’s instant reply, a light chuckle on his lips. He casually takes a sip from his orange soda before turning to Yu.

“What about you, man? Surely you agree that this ‘Midnight Channel’ thing is some kinda joke, right?”

All eyes are on Yu now, who hums thoughtfully while stirring his drink before answering. Yosuke is watching him expectantly, and Yu shrugs.

“...It can’t hurt to try it, I guess.”

Yosuke’s face falls, and it feels like the disappointment radiating from him is almost tangible. He defeatedly takes another sip of his soda.

Chie, meanwhile, declares total victory with a satisfied smirk. She gives her beverage a light shake before bringing the straw to her lips.

“Well, it’s raining tonight,” she begins, setting the now empty cup on the table. “Let’s all try it out—then you’ll see!”

Her last statement is directed at Yosuke, who simply squints and continues to drink his orange soda.

“Alright, fine. I’ll do it,” Yosuke agrees, placing his drink on the table. _“However,_ whoever is proven wrong owes 2200 yen.”

Chie scoffs, an amused glint in her eye. “You’re really gonna bet money on this? You know you’re gonna lose, right?”

“It’s you who’s gonna have to pay up,” Yosuke retorts. “Who even believes in urban legends these days, anyway?”

Yu chuckles to himself as he listens to his two companions banter back and forth. It’s a nice feeling, being able to hang out with other kids his age and truly feel like he belongs. It’s something he never had back in the city, and it makes him feel glad that he was sent to Inaba.

After a while, the conversation drifts to other topics, and the three of them end up chatting until the sun begins to set. When the clock chimes 5:00, Yu says he has to make dinner, and Yosuke suddenly remembers that he needs to make up an assignment for school, so they agree to go their separate ways for now.

But the game is set. Tonight, the TV will determine who the winner of the bet is, and tomorrow, somebody’s wallet is going to be 2200 yen lighter. Yu doesn’t really care if the legend is true either way, but he doesn’t mind investigating the truth behind it.

He decides to set an alarm for 11:50 that night.

* * *

 Yosuke is already starting to regret this.

He’s used to being up late due to working late shifts, but the fact that he _could_ be sleeping right now but _isn’t_ is driving him up the wall. It’s 11:50 right now, so there’s just ten minutes left of waiting before he can _go the hell to bed,_ but every second feels like it’s passing by in slow motion.

He groans and tries to wake up by slapping himself repeatedly, but it doesn’t do much. He’s still tired as hell, and he almost considers just going to bed, because he’s 85% sure that the Midnight Channel doesn’t exist.

He decides against it, though. If Yu decided to try it out, then there’s no reason why he shouldn’t. Yu doesn’t even _care_ and he still agreed to stay up. Putting it like that, Yosuke almost feels like he’s betraying Yu in some way if he doesn’t do this, so he opts to tough it out just a bit longer.

He checks the time. 11:55. Five more minutes and this torture will end. With a sigh, he pulls out his phone to text Yu. The time will pass quicker if he’s distracted.

 

> **Me:** hey mn u up?
> 
> _**> Yu:** Yes._
> 
> _**> Yu:** I woke up about five minutes ago._
> 
> **Me:** dju take a nap or smthn?
> 
> _**> Yu:** I set an alarm so I wouldn’t lose much sleep._

 

Yosuke curses himself for not thinking of that sooner. 

 

> **Me:** damn
> 
> **Me:** i wsh i thot of tht
> 
> **Me:** im so tired rn
> 
> _**> Yu:** I’ll take extra notes for you so you can sleep in class tomorrow._

 

If Yosuke had a drink, he would have spit it out.

 

> **Me:** wat
> 
> **Me:** dude
> 
> **Me:** u dnt hve 2 do tht 4 me
> 
> _**> Yu:** I don’t?_
> 
> **Me:** ofc not!!!!
> 
> **Me:** I mean
> 
> **Me:** unless u wanna
> 
> **Me:** in whch case I wnt stop u :P
> 
> _**> Yu:** I don’t mind at all._
> 
> **Me:** u sure mn???
> 
> _**> Yu:** It’s really no big deal._
> 
> _**> Yu:** Don’t worry about it._
> 
> **Me:** well alrite
> 
> **Me:** if u say so

 

Yu really is a nice guy, Yosuke thinks. He must have had a stroke of luck that Yu doesn’t hate him like most people do. Yosuke wonders if they could become close friends with time.

 

> **Me:** oh btw
> 
> **Me:** do u thnk its real??
> 
> **Me:** th midnight channel, i mean
> 
> _**> Yu:** It doesn’t seem impossible…_
> 
> _**> Yu:** But I’m not going to get my hopes up._
> 
> **Me:** i dnt believ it
> 
> **Me:** tbh im only doin ths bc u r
> 
> _**> Yu:** That’s sweet of you._
> 
> **Me:** uhhh wait no
> 
> **Me:** i ddnt mean it lik tht
> 
> **Me:** jst feels unfair if i back out of ths while u still agrd 2 do it
> 
> **Me:** dnt wanna lik, abndn u or anythn
> 
> **Me:** crap tht sounded gay
> 
> **Me:** 4get i said anythn

 

Yosuke checks the time again. 11:59. 

 

> **Me:** ok its abt 2 strt
> 
> **Me:** ill ttyl

 

As his conversation with Yu is cut short (which is rather unfortunate, because Yosuke enjoys talking to him—wait no that sounds really gay), Yosuke casts his phone aside for the moment to focus on the TV. Just a few more seconds, and he can prove Chie wrong.

He painstakingly counts down the seconds to midnight.

5…

The rain patters on the window.

4…

He doubts this thing is even real.

3…

His phone lights up with a message from Yu, but Yosuke’s eyes are too focused on the TV screen to pick it up.

2…

He really hopes Chie doesn’t make him treat her to steak if he’s wrong about this.

1…

He doesn’t know why he’s nervous. This whole thing is fake anyway. It’s not like someone he knows is going to show up on screen.

The clock strikes midnight. A few seconds pass before the TV turns to yellow static, and Yosuke can’t believe what he’s seeing.

It’s a little fuzzy, but the person on screen is...strangely familiar. The first thing Yosuke notices is that this person is a _guy, wait a minute that can’t be right he’s not gay,_ and then he realizes that _what the hell, that’s_ **_Yu_** _. Why is Yu on the TV screen?_ Yosuke blinks once, twice, _three times_ before he accepts that he’s not seeing things, and there’s no mistaking it. That silver hair and those stormy grey eyes, those oddly _alluring_ grey eyes, how has Yosuke not noticed that before, and that strong build make it obvious that it’s none other than _Yu Narukami_ on his TV screen. What the hell.

This has to be a dream, right?

Yosuke scrambles for his phone. He needs to call Yu. This has to be a mistake, there’s no way this Midnight Channel is real, there’s no way Yu can be his soulmate, and there’s _no way_ that Yosuke is gay. There isn’t a single gay bone in his body. This _has_ to be some sort of joke.

Yu picks up on the second ring, and Yosuke’s stomach flips.

“Yes?”

“Dude, what the hell?! Did you see that? Th-the Midnight Channel, it’s—it’s _real!_ Chie was _right,_ dammit, and crap, now I owe her 2200 yen and… Oh my god _please_ tell me I’m not the only one who saw that.”

There’s a second of silence on the other side. He hears shuffling as Yu sits down on his bed.

“What did you see?”

Yosuke rakes a hand through his hair nervously. “I-I saw… I saw…”

You, he wants to say, but for some reason he can’t force the words past his throat. His face begins to heat up.

“Uh, it’s nothing. I saw nothing. Hey listen, I uh… I gotta go. I’m really tired, and I’ve gotta work tomorrow, y’know?”

He can’t see it, but he can tell that Yu is nodding in understanding.

“Of course. Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“R-right. See ya.”

And with that, Yosuke hangs up. He groans and drags his hands over his still burning face before gracelessly flopping back onto his bed.

Needless to say, he doesn’t get much sleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh Yosuke honey you have no idea what's coming ;3c
> 
> I may write another chapter to this later, idk
> 
> EDIT: I am writing another chapter to this, expect an update in like five years

**Author's Note:**

> don't mind me, just injecting the gays into my bloodstream
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the wild ride uwu I'll be here all week ~~not really I write like once every seven years~~ :')


End file.
